The present invention relates to fishing equipment and more particularly to a fishing float for use with a fishing line.
Fishing floats are well known and in common usage and there are numerous float devices presently available. In general such floats are not readily visable in choppy water or not visable at night to determine the position of the fishing line.
Further, where illuminated fishing floats are known, such devices have been complicated in operation, particularly in the manipulation required for insertion of a line through the float device or secure attachment of the float device to the line so that movement of the float relative to the float device is accomplished only with considerable difficulty.
Various prior art illuminated fishing floats are known and an example of one such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,972--Hollingsworth where a device is taught which is particularly adapted to indicating the presence of fish on the line by a pull on the fishing line which activates a light. Another arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,527,956--Peevey where a device is shown to be used as a fishing line position indicator but where the line is fed through the device so that the hook or other bait device must be removed from the line prior to insertion of the line or of the device on the line.
Another device where the line is located through the device as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,808--Aldinger, and another illuminated fishing float is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,087--Diamond where the fishing line is attached directly to the float which carries a light emitting device to indicate the position of the float but where the light cannot be turned on and off.
No prior art device is known for an illuminated fishing float where the line is easily removed from the device and where the float can be utilized without use of the light to preserve battery power during, for example, daylight fishing.
Further, no device is known where the line can be easily inserted into the float and utilized and the float removed from the line without removal of the hook or other devices from the line.